Wall cleaning device



NOV 30, 1943- J. G. UTTERBACK WALL CLEANING DEVICE INVENTOR.

Filed March 10, 1942 ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l WALL CLEANING DEVICE James G. `Utterback, Fairfax, Ohio Application March 1o, 1942, serial No. 434,099

V1 Claim.

The invention relates to a manually operative device particularly, although not exclusively, adapted for utilization of a paste or'plastic cleaning compound for cleaning wall paper.

Heretofore considerable difculty, inconvenience and trouble has been experienced by persons who desire to use a paste or plastic cleaning compound for removing dirt, grit, dust and other foreign matter from rwall paper. This 'is' so because considerable experience and practice is required by the average person before he or she can successfully and satisfactorily utilize the usual and standard plastic wall cleaning compound. Unless the pressure and directional movements exerted by the user on the cleaning compound and in Contact with the wall paper, is uniform, and by experience proper and correct, the ultimate result is streaks, uneven cleaning, spots and blotches on the wall paper.

If the user fails to knead the compound after a predetermined quantity of dirt, grit, dust, and other foreign substances are caused to adhere to it, or if utilization of the used surface of the compound is continued after a predetermined quantity of dirt, grit, dust, and other foreign subrated with dirt, grit, dust and other substances l whereby further frictional contact of the small area of surface with the wall paper effects disposition of a portion of the previously removed dirt, grit, dust and other foreign substances on the portion of the wall paper being frictionally engaged.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple, efficient and practical manually operative device adapted to receive and retain a paste or plastic wall cleaning compound and with a portion of the compound protruding from the device for contacting the wall paper; to provide efficient and dependable means, in part'comprising a plunger, whereby said compound may be conveniently fed from said device; to provide f means through which said compound protrudes for contacting said wall paper when said device is manually operated; and to provide means to regulate the quantity of said compound adapted to be fed during a single operation.

rThe invention consists in the arrangement of the parts, combination of the elements, and in the details of the construction, as hereinafter claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the inventionwith parts broken away and showing certain parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtaken on the -line 22 of Fig. 1; M f,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, on reduced scale, showing a device employed in conjunction Vwith the cleaning device shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line li- 4 of Fig. 3, and also showing the device of Figs. 1 and 2 as employed in conjunction therewith;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of vthe cleaning device as it appears after loading and when ready for use; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line ii-S of Fig. 5 and illustrates manual use of the device.

In the preferredconstruction ofthe invention, I provide the container I comprising the end Walls 2 and 3 and the side walls i and 5, and the 'bot tom 6 having the hole Ttherein in ,which is secured an end of thetubularstaff 8 having the slot 9 therein. Slidablyjreceived in the slot 9 Yis the rU -shaped bar ill fixed to the end II of the tube I I' having fixed in its end I I the innerend of the manually operative-handle! 2. f

The guide or support I3 has a hole I4 therein in which is fixed the staff 8 as by the screw I5. The spaced apart legs 'I5 and Il of the bar V`III have their inner ends slidably received in the holes I8 and I9 ofthe bottom I5 of the container. The side walls 2 and ,'3 extend downwardly and form the legs 20 and 2| to which the ends of the support I3 is suitably connected. Y

Fixed to the inner ends 22 and 23, of therlegs I6 and I1, as by the screws 26 isV the plunger25 slidably mounted in the-container I. The end edges and the side edges of the plunger 25 fit relatively close to the end walls v2 and-3 andthe side walls 4 and 5Y of ',the container I. Ihelegs I6 and I'I, of the bar vI-il, are slidable inthe holes 26 and 21 in the support I3.

lSlidably receivedy in contact with the ontersurf faces of the side walls 2y and -3 andthe legsjZi] and 2l, are the plates 23 and 29 havingvtheir lower ends fixed in Contact with the lower ends of the legs 2li and 2l, as by the pins 30 which are 35 and 36, respectively, are the spaced apart slots 39 and 4B, and :4I and 42 whose sidewalls extend longitudinally of the walls 35 and 36.

Integrally connected with the lower ends of the end walls 33 and 34 are the top ends of the plates 28 and 29, whereby removal of the pins 30 from the holes in the plates 28 and 29, legs 20 and 2| and the support I3 permits the user to remove the nozzle 32 from contact with the container l.

In the container I is the usual paste or plastic wall paper cleaning compound 43. Normally the compound 43 protrudes from the slots 38, 39, 49, 4| and 42, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, for purposes hereinafter explained.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown the box 44 having an open top and having the partition 45 which forms the compartments 46 and 41. In the compartment 41 is fixed the V-shaped support 43 having the walls or legs 49 and 50 inclined inwardly and downwardly, whereby the bottoms 5| and 52 of the walls are relatively closely spaced and the tops 53 and 54 of the walls are in contact with the partition 45 and the end wall 55, of the box 44. In contact with the upper surface of the walls 49 and 53 are the plates 56 and 51 having formed therein the slots 58 and 59, and 69 and 6 I.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The handle I2 is manually moved outwardly for the purpose of sliding the legs I6 and I1 of the bar Il) in the holes I8I9 and 26-21, of the bottom 6 and the support I 3, whereby the plunger 25 forced downwardly and in contact with the bottom 6 of the container I. Then the pins 36 are removed from the holes in the legs 20 and 2 I, plates 28 and 29, and the support I3, whereby the nozzle 32 is manually removed from contact with the top end 3| of the container I. Then the plastic or paste wall cleaning compound 43 is 'manually inserted inside the container I for the purpose of lling the container therewith. Afterwards the nozzle 32 is replaced onto the top end 3| of the container I and the pins 30 are inserted to their pro-per positions, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 for the purpose of retaining the plates 28 and 29 in contact with the end walls 2 and 3 of the container. Then the nozzle 32 is inserted in contact with the plates 56 and 51, as shown in Fig. 4. Then the handle I2 is forced inwardly thereby causing the plunger 25 to force the paste or plastic cleaning compound 43 through the slots 39, 46, 38, 4I and 42, in the nozzle 32 and into the slots 58, 59, 58' and 59 o-f the plates 56 and 51. The plastic 43 is forced through the slot 38 and in contact with the lower inside surfaces of the plates 56 and 51 thereby forming a V-shaped protrusion 62 from the tip 31 and at the extreme end of the top or outer end 63 of the nozzle 32. Also the protrusions 64 and 65 and 66 and 61 are formed after which the nozzle 32 is removed from the box 44 and the device is ready for use in cleaning wall paper.

The cleaning operation is illustrated in Fig. 6 whereby the protrusions 64 and 65 of the compound 43 are shown in contact with the wall paper 68 on the wall 69.

The cleaning operation comprises a manual movement of the handle I2 so that the protrusions 64 and 65 or 66 and 61 frictionally engage the wall paper thereby removing from the paper dirt, grit and other foreign substances which are absorbed by the protrusions of the compound. When it is desired to clean the corner 19, shown in Fig. 6 of the ceiling 1I and wall 69, the protrusion 62 is forced into the cornerv and the container is manually moved longitudinally for the purpose of causing the protrusion 62 to frictionally engage the wall paper in the corner 10.

After the protrusions 62, 64, 65, 66 and 61 have absorbed dirt, grit and other foreign substances from the wall paper the protrusions may be sliced off by means of a knife whereby the outer sur faces of the compound are in alignment with the outer surfaces of the nozzle 32. Afterward the nozzle 32 is again inserted in contact with the plates 56 and 51 and the handle I2 is manually forced inwardly or upwardly whereby the plunger 25 forces the compound 43 therein through the slots in the plates 56 and 51, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby forming the protrusions shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

An advantage of the invention is that any ordinary house man or house woman may quickly and conveniently clean wall paper simply by manually pushing the container with the protrusions of the compound in frictional Contact with wall paper. The protrusions contact the wall paper thereby absorbing dirt, grit, dust and other foreign substances. The fact that the protrusions of the wall paper cleaning compound 43 uniformly contact the wall paper prevents streaks, spots and blotches being left on the wall paper by contact therewith with the cleaning compound, as is customary when a novice or inexperienced person attempts to clean wall paper by use of a handful of wall paper cleaning com pound rubbed in frictional contact with the wall paper.

Another advantage of the invention is that after contacting portions or protrusions, of the compound are absorbed with dirt, grit and other foreign substances, removed from the Wall paper, the used portion of the compound may be separated from the remaining compound which being fresh and clean may be quickly and conveniently placed in proper position in the form of new protrusions for convenient utilization.

While I believe that the form of the invention illustrated in the drawing and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is eflicient and practicable, yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of the device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that changes in the details may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the claim.

In other words, it is understood that changes and modifications in the embodiment of the invention, such as its size, the materials used and the like, as disclosed herein, can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention, as other expedients may readily suggest themselves to persons familiar in the art to which the invention appertains.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a device of the class Ydescribed and comprising a container having a bottom having holes therein, a staff fixed in one of said hol-es, U-shape means slidable with respect to said staff and having spaced apart legs slidable in the other said holes, a plunger slidable in said container and being fixed to said legs, a manually operative handle connected with said means vfor sliding the plunger in said container, a v-shape nozzle xed to the upper end of said container, and having an outer tip, said nozzle having parallel endwalls and upwardly and inwardly inclined'sidewalls and having slots in said side walls Nand having aslot in said tip. v

JAMES G. U'II'ERBACK. 

